Amsterdam high school can stay open, if management resigns, Minister says

The Cornelius Haga Lyceum can stay open the upcoming school year, but only if the school directors are replaced. If a new interim board is appointed in the first weeks of the new school year, the pupils of the Islamic high school in Amsterdam can go to school as usual, Minister Arie Slob for Primary and Secondary Education announced on Thursday.

The Education Inspectorate investigated the school after intelligence service AIVD said there were signals that the school wanted to devote part of their lessons to Salafism, and that school employees are in contact with people who promote Salafism. While the Inspectorate found nothing to indicate that the school was promoting Salafism, there were indications of financial mismanagement, and that the school director was guilty of self-enrichment and conflicts of interest, the Ministry of Education said in a statement.

The Inspectorate also found that the school board's policies and actions are harmful to students, because they do not distance themselves from people with a controversial reputation. The Cornelius Haga Lyceum does not provide sufficient citizenship education. And the school's cooperation with external parties is also insufficient, the Inspectorate said.

The school was given a list of improvements to make, but the Inspectorate is not confident that the current school administrators will be able to correct the identified problems. As some of the problems can be harmful to the school and its pupils, Minister Slob called for the board to resign, and for a new - if interim - board to be appointed within the first weeks of the new school year.

"All students deserve good education. Regardless of the type of school they attend. There is maladministration at the Cornelius Haga Lyceum. In addition, the directors do not do enough to promote citizenship at the school. That is why we need a new board", Slob said.